Mazzara becomes the second showrunner to exit the zombie drama based on the comics by Robert Kirkman.

AMC has renewed The Walking Dead for a fourth season -- without showrunner Glen Mazzara, who has parted ways with cable's top series.

'The Walking Dead': What Really Happened to Fired Showrunner Frank Darabont"Both parties acknowledge that there is a difference of opinion about where the show should go moving forward, and conclude that it is best to part ways. This decision is amicable and Glen will remain on for postproduction on season 3B as showrunner and executive producer," AMC said in a statement. (Filming on season three has already concluded, with the second half of episodes set to return to AMC in February.)

A replacement has yet to be announced but sources tell THR that the series may elevate a current member of the show's writing staff.

Mazzara's contributions to the zombie drama have been widely hailed by critics, with the series landing on several critics' Best of 2012 lists and being praised for its turnaround in pacing -- THR deemed the series a 2012 Rule Breaker for its willingness to take big swings including killing off major characters midseason.

Mazzara, who as a freelancer penned a season one episode, was brought in as an exec producer under Frank Darabont ahead of season two. He ultimately was tapped to replace Darabont, who helped shepherd the series to the screen and was fired after refuting budget cuts to the drama.

"My time as showrunner on The Walking Dead has been an amazing experience, but after I finish season three, it’s time to move on," Mazzara said in a statement. "I have told the stories I wanted to tell and connected with our fans on a level that I never imagined. It doesn’t get much better than that. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey."

"If you were born near someplace called "The Erg of ____" you lost the lottery." - Kurt the Wise

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